Guest opinion ‘Carnivore diet’ unrealistic, bad for the environment
In the ever-changing world with people latching to fads left and right, it’s no surprise that the carnivore diet trend has swept the population. The carnivore diet consists of red meat, poultry, fish and eggs.
This means completely cutting out all vegetables, fruit, legumes, grains, nuts, and seeds. Promoted on all social media, even on major podcasts such as The Joe Rogan Experience, these people have really influenced a lot to try it out. But, with any of the fad diets of the past, there lies a stark reality. The carnivore diet is not only financially burdensome but also full of practical challenges, even health risks, making it unrealistic and a bad choice as a diet.
People who are partaking in the carnivore diet discuss the simplicity and health benefits such as lack of brain fog/mental clarity, weight loss, joint health and the potential alleviation of other health conditions. But from my perspective, the carnivore diet is unrealistic for the vast majority of people for numerous reasons.
First of all is the exorbitant cost of animal products which poses a very real barrier for much of the world. A lot of people who partake in carnivore diets will try to frame it as a cheap option but, if you want to get good cuts of meat that the celebrities push for that help with various health conditions, you would have to pay a premium. According to the latest Consumer Price Index
report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, beef and veal prices are up 7.7% compared to January 2023. Ground beef is up 5.5%, beef roasts 6.7%, and beef steaks 10.7%. Only eating bulk ground beef, for example, would not provide you with the dense nutrient profile of a high-grade cut of salmon. Again keeping with the idea of money, many of the things that the carnivore diet people would consider “filler,” such as rice, bread, grains, etc., keep us more full and allow us to make food last longer, which is more cost-efficient. To get the same amount of full from eating purely protein as one would with supplemental carbs, you would be eating a lot more money’s worth of food in total. Aside from the money aspect, reliance on purely animal products leads to a lack of nutritional balance which deprives people of essential minerals, vitamins and fibers that are included in plantbased foods. The carnivore diet is quite limiting when it comes to convenience. For someone to stick to the plan to a T, they would have to meticulously plan their meals in advance and always rely on themselves for a meal because not many places could accommodate them perfectly.
Finally, a big reason that the carnivore diet may not be the best for everyone to follow is the heavy environmental impact regarding the mass production of animal products which contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution and threatening biodiversity. According to Meat
Free Mondays, “A new study looking at the environmental impact of diet on the individual level has found that a meat eater’s carbon footprint is almost two-thirds (59 percent) the size of a meat free eater’s.” This is not to say that my personal opinion is that everyone should be on a plant-based diet, but if everyone was the opposite there would be a substantial effect on our environment. If the majority of people in the world were strictly carnivores, climate change would be greatly accelerated.
Beyond that, let’s take a look at convenience. Protein is essential and very good for human function. But, you must also recognize that while protein is essential for many body functions, other foods provide dense nutrients that should supplement protein intake. Having to meticulously plan meals for someone in a really busy job field may just not be possible. According to Forbes, “The carnivore diet can lead to an increased risk of developing heart disease because it prioritizes foods that are high in saturated fat, such as fatty steaks, which can elevate cholesterol levels.”
Overall while the carnivore diet may be appealing to some based on its simplicity and public support with celebrities, it just isn’t realistic for the average person. Lack of nutrient profile, inconvenience and expense seem to make it only an option for the very wealthy who want to “do it the right way.”
Joe Fanaro is a student at CU Boulder.